Heavyweight boxing looks very different from the start of the summer. Filip Hrgovic is now an IBF world champion, Moses Itauma has suffered the first defeat of his career, Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley have a rematch booked, while Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are once again stuck in uncertainty over whether their long-awaited fight actually happens.
Oleksandr Usyk still sits above all of them in our heavyweight boxing rankings. He may have given up the WBA, WBC and IBF belts, but relinquishing titles does not erase victories over Fury, Joshua and Dubois twice apiece. For the wider picture across every division, our boxing weight classes guide explains where heavyweight fits into the sport.
These are BetVictor editorial rankings rather than the official list of any sanctioning body. Recent form, quality of opposition, championship performances and the strength of a fighter’s overall record all matter.
1. Oleksandr Usyk
Record: 25-0
Usyk remains the best heavyweight in the world until somebody proves otherwise.
His latest victory came against Rico Verhoeven in Egypt, extending an unbeaten career that has already included two wins over Tyson Fury, two over Anthony Joshua and two over Daniel Dubois. That collection of results matters more than the belts he chose to vacate afterwards.
Usyk remains recognised as heavyweight champion by The Ring and is approaching the closing stage of his career at 39. Even so, there is nobody beneath him with a stronger claim to this position.
He also remains among the leading names in our pound-for-pound boxing rankings.
2. Daniel Dubois
Record: 23-3
Dubois has rebuilt his career into something that looked unlikely after his earlier defeats.
The WBO champion survived two knockdowns against Fabio Wardley in May before gradually taking over and stopping him in the 11th round. It was a brutal fight, but probably the most important performance of Dubois’ career because he had to recover from serious trouble rather than simply overpower an opponent from the start.
His two defeats to Usyk keep him below the Ukrainian, yet Dubois has a strong argument against almost everybody else in the division.
We will learn even more on 17 October, when he faces Wardley again at The O2.
3. Agit Kabayel
Record: 27-0
There is very little hype required with Agit Kabayel anymore.
The WBC champion remains unbeaten after a run that includes stoppage victories over Arslanbek Makhmudov, Frank Sanchez, Zhilei Zhang and Damian Knyba. Those wins have aged well because several of the opponents involved remain relevant at world level.
Kabayel does not have the name recognition of Fury or Joshua, but current heavyweight rankings should reward what is happening in the ring now.
On that basis, third is difficult to argue against.
4. Tyson Fury
Record: 36-2-1
Fury’s only professional defeats remain his two losses to Usyk.
He returned this summer with a seventh-round stoppage of Mariusz Wach, but the bigger question surrounds what comes next. Fury and Joshua appeared to be moving towards a November fight before another disagreement over the venue complicated negotiations.
Fury now says he is prepared to move on and has publicly called for another fight with Usyk instead.
That uncertainty does not erase his record, although at 38 there is less room than ever for long periods spent waiting between elite-level fights.
Our latest Fury vs Joshua update follows the negotiations.
5. Filip Hrgovic
Record: 21-1
No heavyweight improved his position more in August.
Hrgovic entered The O2 as a sizeable underdog against Moses Itauma and spent much of the opening eight rounds being outboxed. Itauma dropped him in the second and repeatedly beat him to the punch, but Hrgovic stayed in the fight.
That became decisive once Itauma tired.
Hrgovic took over late and forced the stoppage at 2:27 of round nine, winning the vacant IBF heavyweight championship and becoming Croatia’s first heavyweight world champion.
The Ring subsequently moved him up to No.4 in its contender rankings. We have him fifth overall because Fury’s career body of work still carries weight, but Hrgovic has closed that gap dramatically.
Frank Sanchez is expected to receive the first shot at his IBF belt.
6. Fabio Wardley
Record: 20-1-1
Wardley lost his unbeaten record against Dubois, but he hardly left the fight looking like somebody who had been exposed.
He dropped Dubois twice before eventually being overwhelmed in the 11th round and immediately activated his contractual right to a rematch.
That second fight is now confirmed for 17 October at The O2 in London.
A Wardley victory would completely rearrange these rankings. Losing twice to Dubois would leave him needing a more substantial rebuild.
Our Dubois vs Wardley 2 page follows the rematch.
7. Anthony Joshua
Record: 30-4
Joshua remains difficult to place because the best part of his record is stronger than many fighters above him, while his recent career has been much less consistent.
He returned in July against Kristian Prenga and survived two first-round knockdowns before producing a dramatic second-round knockout.
It was messy, but it showed that Joshua can still recover under pressure and finish a fight when an opponent gives him openings.
The planned Fury fight would provide the proper answer to where Joshua belongs at this stage of his career. Until that is confirmed, seventh feels about right.
His achievements still place him comfortably among the greatest British heavyweights of the modern era.
8. Efe Ajagba
Record: 21-1-1
Ajagba does not generate the same attention as some of the British names around him, but his recent form keeps him inside the top 10.
His only professional defeat came against Frank Sanchez, and at 32 there is still time for another serious run towards a world-title opportunity.
The missing result remains a win against one of the division’s genuinely elite names.
9. Joseph Parker
Record: 36-4
Parker had rebuilt himself brilliantly through victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang before Fabio Wardley stopped him in October 2025.
That loss stalled his momentum without wiping out everything that came before it.
The issue now is activity. Several heavyweights around him have picked up major wins while Parker has been waiting for his next opportunity.
One meaningful victory would push him straight back up.
10. Murat Gassiev
Record: 34-2
Gassiev holds the WBA heavyweight title and successfully defended it against Peter Kadiru in July.
Why only tenth?
Because this is an independent ranking rather than a list ordered by belts.
Gassiev’s power remains dangerous and his cruiserweight career was excellent, but he still lacks a heavyweight victory comparable with the best wins owned by Dubois, Kabayel or Hrgovic.
The different title routes can get confusing quickly, which is why our guide to the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO goes through how each body operates.
11. Frank Sanchez
Record: 26-1
Frank Sanchez put himself right back into the title picture by knocking out previously unbeaten Richard Torrez Jr in the second round in May.
His only defeat came against Kabayel.
More importantly, Sanchez remains directly involved in the IBF situation. He stepped aside to allow Itauma vs Hrgovic to happen for the vacant title and is now expected to receive his opportunity against the new champion.
Beat Hrgovic and Sanchez jumps from the edge of our top 10 to owning a world title.
12. Moses Itauma
Record: 14-1
Itauma falls considerably after the first defeat of his career, although the performance was more complicated than simply saying he was not ready.
For seven rounds he looked excellent against Hrgovic. His speed caused huge problems, he scored a knockdown and he was comfortably ahead on the cards.
Then his conditioning disappeared.
Hrgovic survived long enough to expose the one part of Itauma’s game that had never really been tested: fighting deep into a hard 12-round contest.
At 21, there is an enormous amount of time to fix that. Our What Happened to Moses Itauma? article breaks down the defeat in more detail.
13. Damian Knyba
Record: 18-1
Knyba is the new addition to our top 15.
His only defeat came against Kabayel in January, and he responded by producing the biggest victory of his career against Andy Ruiz Jr on 4 September.
Knyba used his huge reach and consistent jab to frustrate the former unified champion, dropped him in the seventh round and won a unanimous decision.
Ruiz was coming off a lengthy absence, so the result needs some context, but it still gives Knyba a recognised name on his record and moves him back into the heavyweight conversation.
14. Deontay Wilder
Record: 45-4-1
Wilder remains here because one punch can still change almost any heavyweight fight.
The problem is that his recent record no longer supports ranking him anywhere close to the top five.
Losses to Parker and Zhang removed much of his previous momentum, while beating Derek Chisora did not fully answer the questions around how much the 40-year-old has left.
The right hand remains frightening. The consistency around it does not.
15. Justis Huni
Record: 13-1
Huni completes the list after rebuilding from his dramatic knockout defeat to Wardley.
He returned by beating Frazer Clarke in April, showing that the Wardley loss had not permanently derailed him.
At 27, Huni has more time than most fighters around the bottom of these rankings and remains technically strong enough to cause problems.
He now needs another top-level heavyweight opponent.
Who Are the Heavyweight Boxing Champions in 2026?
The four major belts are now split between four different fighters:
- WBA: Murat Gassiev
- WBC: Agit Kabayel
- IBF: Filip Hrgovic
- WBO: Daniel Dubois
Oleksandr Usyk remains The Ring heavyweight champion despite voluntarily giving up his sanctioning-body titles.
That has completely reopened the division. Instead of everybody chasing one undisputed champion, there are now several different routes towards a world title and, eventually, another unification.
Our guide to undisputed champions in boxing explains what would be required to bring all four belts back together.
Which Heavyweight Fights Could Change the Rankings Next?
Dubois vs Wardley II is the clearest one.
Their rematch takes place at The O2 on 17 October, and another violent fight would not be surprising after the way their first meeting unfolded.
Hrgovic is also expected to make his first IBF defence against Frank Sanchez, while the Fury–Joshua situation remains unresolved.
Further down, Damian Knyba’s win over Ruiz has given him another route towards a major fight, and Moses Itauma now faces the first rebuild of his professional career.
Heavyweight boxing rarely stays still for long.
For the major cards coming up, see our boxing schedule 2026 or check the latest markets through BetVictor’s boxing odds.
